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The diamond’s evolution and Sterling’s developmenthttps://theoozeblog.wordpress.com/2014/09/27/the-diamonds-evolution-and-sterlings-development/
https://theoozeblog.wordpress.com/2014/09/27/the-diamonds-evolution-and-sterlings-development/#respondSat, 27 Sep 2014 14:57:05 +0000http://theoozeblog.wordpress.com/?p=837Tactical evolution over recent decades has been hard to come by. There has not been one single overarching change of formations in football since possibly the 70s, that has impacted the majority of teams in world football. It seems there have been more holistic trends of overall tactics. Like for example the death of 2 in midfield (however even this isn’t completely gone especially in lower divisions), ball playing defences, use of the regista and a slow inclination of every position towards midfield.
Another one of these has begun to creep up over the last 2 years or so in world football although again it’s a reinvention of something used before, the diamond. ‘The diamond’ that has been used in football’s vocabulary for many decades now, has many different meanings and symbols for different people.

Typical narrow use of the diamond

For some it’s a disregard of the central midfield zone completely with two wide wingers and one holding midfielder, for others it can mean the swamping of the central midfield zone with 4 players. This all can be done with a 3/4/5 at the back combination as well, so it’s vague word. In this change however it’s the description of the one most predominantly used by Liverpool in 2013/14 season and used by more teams including England onward. The narrower use, with 4 tight central midfielders and 2 strikers. Liverpool are by no means the only one to utilize this however, for example Chile has experimented with this at times with 3 at the back, with the clever duo of Sanchez and Vargas. Van Gaal has begun to use it at times with man united also.

Liverpool’s diamond in use

In this description of the diamond, what has been seen to occur is the use of a withdrawn forward as well as two wide forwards while still maintaining a structure of a diamond in midfield. Diamonds have been set out like this before, but now it seems a deliberate strategy moving throughout a season. It’s advantage lies in still maintaining a modern high pressing strategy on fullbacks, while possessing two strikers.Furthermore it also allows domination of the central midfield but preserve an completely offensive no 10 or second striker role.

Liverpool’s diamond from 2013/14

Liverpool’s style, to which Hodgson has tried to replicate involves a horizontally fluid 4 in midfield, who shift with the ball. The front two’s job is to harass the opposition’s back four. Then to cause havoc for markers while acting neither as wingers nor as strikers but still causing damage in both zones. The key player in this however, despite the regista’s (Gerrard in this scenario) playmaking role, is Sterling. The no 10.

Sterling has been used by both England and Liverpool in this role. It’s one of the reasons it has been used is to get the best out of Sterling’s mold of a player. It has given him complete frontal freedom, and more space to utilize one of his key assets-his dribbling. His mobility allows him to move away from most holding midfielders with ease, while the two strikers create spaces for him and for themselves out wide. While his finishing is something to be improved to say the least, it seems he is flourishing in this tactical development and it may be used by teams in the future especially with mobile strikers and a talented no 10.

]]>https://theoozeblog.wordpress.com/2014/09/27/the-diamonds-evolution-and-sterlings-development/feed/0Raheem-SterlingmattymattmattmatTypical narrow use of the diamondLiverpool's diamond in useLiverpool's diamond from 2013/14Top 5 Dutch talents To Emerge From The World Cup: No.2 Daley Blindhttps://theoozeblog.wordpress.com/2014/07/30/top-5-dutch-talents-to-emerge-from-the-world-cup-no-2-daley-blind/
https://theoozeblog.wordpress.com/2014/07/30/top-5-dutch-talents-to-emerge-from-the-world-cup-no-2-daley-blind/#respondWed, 30 Jul 2014 18:02:52 +0000http://theoozeblog.wordpress.com/?p=820Ajax leader Daley Blind comes in as runner up in our countdown of the top Dutch talents to emerge from the World Cup after enjoying a superb campaign in Brazil.

The transformation of Daley Blind over the past few years has been surreal, last World Cup Blind had just completed a loan spell with Groningen, a rather unconvincing one that left many Ajax fans reluctant to take him back. This reluctance was shown by the fans during his first game after returning from his loan spell, the match was against AZ Alkmaar and after putting in a disappointing display Blind was substituted in the 80th minute, the fans booed and jeered as he left the field of play. This situation for any other 20-year old would most likely scare them, but for Daley it seemed to act as a form of motivation, he was determined to never have to go through such a torrid experience again. Four years on and Blind is one of the hottest prospects in Europe, attracting interest from prestigious clubs such as Barça and Manchester United, and this is mainly down to his impressive outings in Brazil, contributing hugely to the Oranje’s success.

For Ajax last season Blind was starred in the no.6 role, after spending a couple of years at left-back Frank de Boer felt his technical ability and knowledge was more suited to a central role where he could dictate play. The move from De Boer was a brilliant one as Blind adapted to his new role remarkably, he went on to have his best domestic season which saw him named Dutch footballer of the year. However in Brazil Van Gaal opted to play the Ajax man at left-back despite acknowledging he was a better midfielder, this was mainly down to the Oranje lacking severely in quality fullbacks. And so, even though Blind played the majority of the tournament at left-back, the whole world got a good insight into his capabilities as a footballer.

Blind’s opening game of the tournament came against holders Spain, it was a game were everyone thought Spain would win comfortably, the critics had labelled this Dutch side as one of the worst in their history, although this claim was mainly down to the ignorance of the British media as many of the players came from the Eredivisie, a league they have very little knowledge about. However the men from the Netherlands proved everyone wrong as they swept away Spain in a magnificent 5-1 win.

This game was arguably Blind’s best game of the tournament, Del Bosque completely underestimated the Dutchman’s ability as he played with two false wingers that appeared to favour the left side of the pitch, leaving Blind in acres of space, a costly error as Blind has the technical ability to pull off some excellent passes, which lead to the first two goals. The first was a 40 yard pass from the left touchline that sent RVP through on goal and the Manchester United man leaped through the air and nodded it in to the top corner, a truly spectacular goal that will live long in the memories for many Dutch supporters. The next goal came from another accurate Blind pass, this time from 30 yards and Robben was the man on the end of it. Also it just wasn’t Blind’s offensive play that was impressive, defensively he didn’t put a foot wrong, dealing with Silva whenever he roamed into his area of the pitch and also nullified the attacking threat of fullback Azpilicueta.

The next match Blind was just as effective against a dogged Australian side, the Ajax man hardly put a foot wrong as helped his side open the scoring as he set up Arjen Robben early on in the game, taking his tally to 3 assists in just two games. Blind was also one of the few players for the Netherlands that could maintain possession of the ball, especially in the first half, and try to influence the tempo of the match, as he completed 95% of his passes, way above the team’s average of 80%. And thanks to Blind’s composure on the ball as well as the introduction of Depay, the Netherlands were able to see of the Socceroos and assure qualification to the knock-out stages.

The final group game was against dark-horses Chile, it was a battle to see who would take the honours of first place in Group B and determine which team would have the more favourable round of 16 tie against Mexico. The game was one that highlighted Blind’s versatility, as the 24-year old was played as one of the 3 centre-backs. Standing at 5 ft. 11 it may seem quite strange to play Blind at centre-back but as the opposition was Chile, a side that boasted an attacking front three with no player taller than 5 ft. 10. This scenario meant that Blind looked completely natural in his new role as he managed to keep danger man Alexis Sanchez quite for the whole match, tackling the Chilean on 3 occasions, as well as this Blind made 3 interceptions, 3 clearances and also making a single block, showing he was heavily involved in keeping a clean sheet for his side.

The next round of 16 match against Mexico was the game were we finally got to see Blind play in the centre of midfield, the position in which he shown for Ajax. The Dutchman had the job of replacing Nigel de Jong, the enforcer of the Dutch midfield. This was not an easy job but Blind did reasonably well at shielding his side, although there was the odd occasion when he didn’t protect the back-line enough and one of those occasions led to the opening goal from Dos Santos. However after Mexico scored the Dutch soon began to dominate and Blind was integral in maintaining a high tempo, helping to initiate attack after attack until Mexico’s defence finally prevailed. It was a solid performance from Blind but not his best one, the 5-3-2 is a formation Blind had never played in a few months before the tournament, and so his tactical positioning was not as spot on as you would see in the 4-3-3, also the lack of triangles in the 5-3-2 made keeping possession a more difficult job, leading to more long balls being played.

For the next game Blind was again started in the centre, this time against Costa Rica. The match was one were Blind had little to contribute defensively as the Oranje dominated, possession wise, for the whole course of the match. The reason the Dutch dominated possession in such a manner was partly down to Blind who rarely misplaced a pass. Despite the Dutch not being able to make the breakthrough in normal time, the amount of possession they had thanks to Blind’s calmness meant that the Costa Ricans were completely knackered when it came to penalties, and thanks to Krul’s heroics the Dutch progressed to the semi’s.

The semi-final match against Messi’s Argentina was Blind’s biggest test, Argentina’s front line was full of attacking intent, with Messi, Lavezzi and Higuain all leading the line. Blind started the game at fullback but after a first half that saw PSG’s Lavezzi constantly get in-between Blind and Martins Indi, Van Gaal felt the best was to deal with this threat was to put Blind in at centre-back and bring Kuyt to left wing-back. Thankfully for the Dutch the change paid off and Blind looked relatively assured at the back, limiting the opposition to very few chances. After 120 minutes the Netherlands back-line had done their job, keeping out the likes of Messi to give themselves a chance via a penalty shoot-out. However it was not to be for the Dutch that night as Argentina swept through on penalties 4-2, yet again the Dutch would have to leave without the World Cup.

However that was not the end of the Oranje’s campaign as they had to take part in a 3rd place play off against hosts Brazil. Despite it being a game that seemed insignificant Van Gaal was looking to finish the tournament on a high. Blind started the game at left-back and completely subdued the attacking threat of Ramires and Maicon. As well as this the Ajax man once again showed off his capabilities going forward, giving his side a 2-0 lead after just 16 minutes with a composed finish as he calmly brought the ball down and riffled the ball into the back of the net. Unfortunately Blind’s campaign came to an abrupt end in the 70th minute as he collided with Oscar and ended up being stretchered off, thankfully the injury wasn’t a serious one. But thanks to Blind’s contribution the Netherlands were able to easily dispatch of Brazil in a comfortable 3-0 win, topping off a brilliant tournament for the men in orange.

And so Blind’s tournament had ended, he has provided football fans from around the world with exquisite pieces of football that will live long in the archives. His pass to Van Persie lead to one of the greatest goals in World Cup history, that gave Dutch fans from around the world a feeling of pure ecstasy, but this was just one of the 3 assists that he provided for his nation, as well as contributing one goal and creating 7 chances, the 3rd highest out of any Dutchmen. Also Blind was a rock in defence, being instrumental in his side’s 4 clean sheets. These excellent performances have led to the Dutchman being linked to a move to both Manchester United and Barcelona, both well-deserved moves that show just how far the 24-year old has moved from the days of being jeered by his own supporters to being seen as a club icon.

]]>https://theoozeblog.wordpress.com/2014/07/30/top-5-dutch-talents-to-emerge-from-the-world-cup-no-2-daley-blind/feed/0blind goalharryt2311Daley-Blind-eight-surprise-stars-world-cup-2014-always-back-winnersdaley blinddaley-blind-goal-in-brazil-vs-netherlands-in-fifa-world-cup-2014Your 5 a week – 5 things we have learned from the world cuphttps://theoozeblog.wordpress.com/2014/07/24/your-5-a-week-5-things-we-have-learned-from-the-world-cup/
https://theoozeblog.wordpress.com/2014/07/24/your-5-a-week-5-things-we-have-learned-from-the-world-cup/#respondThu, 24 Jul 2014 13:22:24 +0000http://theoozeblog.wordpress.com/?p=7971. It can still be used as a scouting method by clubs

Repeatedly managers claim they have scouts in every corner of the globe and because of the internet and the rise of other technologies that they know everything about every player and pool. Yet still the amount of players who suddenly became linked with certain clubs after the world cup or who’s price increased again is surprising considering their supposed scouting knowledge is so thorough.James Rodriguez, the Golden Boot winner for example, was only partially linked to Real Madrid and is unlikely to have a bolstered such a large fee if he had had a poor World Cup.

“Jimmy Rodriguez is already a world class mad dog”

Enner Valencia had no interest from any of the European sides before the world cup, despite being top scorer in his league. So it’s fair to say many clubs still used the World Cup to observe some of the most exciting talents in ways they may not of done.

2. Spain’s arrogance has finally over stepped the mark and they need to rebuild and adapt

Looking back at Confederations Cup and their recent friendlies it could be suggested their performances could of been predicted and for the average fan they were written off after that 3-0 loss against Brazil (Which is a ridiculous measure of a teams ability). Even the most cynical critics of the Spanish game would not of even dared to suggest they would go out at the group, most expected them to bow out in the Semi-Finals against the must fancied favourites of Brazil. The games themselves made the former champions looked old and dogged.The arrogance to not ever change or adapt their game plan to the opposition, and to assume that maintaining their dominance on the ball would see them through was their downfall and unfortunately they just simply not as good as they were 4 years ago. The Netherlands game, demonstrated their downfall, playing against a team that was vulnerable to space in behind, but also very good at exploiting it. Spain in this game, left themselves open and gave the old favourites of Alonso and Sliva starts, simply neither of them are good enough in their own tactical roles and are better left for the games when there is only the smallest of gaps to win. Despite the warnings signs, Del Bosque maintained the same shape till the end of the game.

Alcântara and co, will be ready to lead the next generation to success but every team must cycle through the last

Fortunately for Spain, they’re still a fantastic side and this golden generation is by no means an accident. The transition means that the team couldn’t go as arrogantly in to games, without plans suiting the opposition, without being pragmatic. They do, as many seem to forget, have arguably the best U21’s team in the world (current European champions) and at least top 3 U20 and U19 sides. Unlike Germany for example who so many of their young players have already been promoted, Spain’s Senior side remains too strong for the youngsters to break into. 4 years comes around and Spain again may dominate the world with a side made up of the likes of De Gea, Thiago, Koke, Deulofeu and Isco, who already are fantastic players. Spain need to rebuild and unlike many other failing sides at this world cup they really have the means to.

3. Brazilian problems run deep

Brazil from the start usurped Germany’s throne of favorites and Germany’s revolution occurred in most brutal of fashions. The Brazilian technical director Alberto Parreira claimed before the World Cup “we already have one hand on the trophy”. This was a very bold statement to make but it really was the feeling among the fans and the players. As so often with Brazil, they fortunately cruised through the group stage with luck favouring them the whole way through. The knockout rounds provided again tough competition and again their was a lot of fortune in them going through (Pinalla’s 120th strike off the post one notable example). Losing their best two players, then facing a team who was almost perfectly equipped to dispatch them, then caused a sensational meltdown, which is unlikely ever be repeated in Semi-final again. Although there was a sense of despair and humiliation, it has not shook up Brazilian football at it’s core like Germany’s Euro 2004 performance 10 years ago did.

Nothing but sentiment

The whole structure of Brazilian football needs to change, from grassroots to the league. The level of corruption is also rife, the culture of top-downism, and conservatism (tradition based), leaves all this in the same manner and not even a footballing earthquake can brake the rusty shackles that have plagued Brazilian football.

4. England have still done nothing worth talking about

(Self explanatory, sorry England fans)

5. Resurgence of 3 at the back

Although this perhaps has been a trend of club football in the past couple of seasons, it’s still interesting to see it has been transferred to the national game. Netherlands and Costa Rica were the notable proponents of the system. Van Gaal tried everything possible to have an extra man in defence and in the majority of these games this meant playing many players out of position to maintain a 3 back. (Blind, CB and Kuyt, WB in the latter stages of the competition). Most of the teams who have implemented this system have looked to get the best from their defensive side of their game, especially Costa Rica who repeatedly frustrated teams leaving no space in front or behind. It’s also meant that certain players have thrived with the additional freedom of being a CB in a 3, Vlaar and Marquez are solid case’s of this. However calling it a ‘resurgence’ is perhaps an overshot as it never has been an overarching tactic nor has it become the latest revolution. It’s been brought into the mainstream as an acceptable tactic and no longer (hopefully at least.)

3 CB’s provided an excellent performance for the Netherlands, especially in their first game

Adrian Chiles and the other totally inept pundits, will comment on playing at 3 the back as the reason a team has lost, because “the wing-backs don’t get back in time” or whatever else indoctrinated garbage has been taken from the talk down the pub or from their U12’s coach. However else more teams in the future may find it a viable option, allowing for more tactical experimentation

]]>https://theoozeblog.wordpress.com/2014/07/24/your-5-a-week-5-things-we-have-learned-from-the-world-cup/feed/0james rodriguezmattymattmattmat'Jimmy Rodriguez is already a world class mad dog' Alcântara and co, will be ready to lead the next generation to success but every team must cycle through the lastNothing but sentiment3 CB's provided an excellent performance for the Netherlands, especially in their first gameTop 5 Dutch talents To Emerge From The World Cup: No.3 Memphis Depayhttps://theoozeblog.wordpress.com/2014/07/23/top-5-dutch-talents-to-emerge-from-the-world-cup-no-3-memphis-depay/
https://theoozeblog.wordpress.com/2014/07/23/top-5-dutch-talents-to-emerge-from-the-world-cup-no-3-memphis-depay/#respondWed, 23 Jul 2014 17:57:50 +0000http://theoozeblog.wordpress.com/?p=790Up next in our countdown of the top 5 Dutch talents to emerge from this year’s World Cup is PSV wonder kid, Memphis Depay.

The 20-year old had an electrifying season with PSV coming into this World Cup which saw him become one of the hottest prospects in Europe. The Moordrecht native’s performances has seen him compared to two time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo, the ultimate compliment for any young aspiring player. Depay contributed 12 goals and 8 assist for PSV last season, helping to cement a 4th place finish. However it was by no means a smooth season for Depay, his performances were very inconsistent, and his impact would range from being monumental one game to non-existent the next, these performances highlighted that PSV were dealing with an immensely raw talent, one that still has a lot to learn. And for many Dutch fans, this consistency was a bit of a concern going into the tournament as no one was quite sure which Depay would turn up in Brazil, but fortunately with Van Gaal in charge the tournament was one to cherish for the talented youngster.

Memphis Depay went into the tournament as the 2nd youngest player in the Dutch squad, with him being just one day older than Feyenoord defender Terrence Kongolo, at just 20 years of age. Being so young and going into a World Cup would be a daunting concept for a lot of players his age, but Depay has a strong-minded attitude, he is always up for a challenge and will do anything to reach the top. These attributes along with his exceptional technical ability and ferocious speed meant that he was the perfect secret weapon for the Oranje.

With this in mind, it was no surprise to see that Van Gaal opted to not to start Depay for the first few games. The system the Netherlands used, the 5-3-2, meant that the Dutch sat back in a lot of the games and let the opposition control the game, but this allowed the deadly trio (RVP, Robben and Sneijder) to be given as much freedom as they wanted and also left a lot of space in behind opposition defences for these three to exploit. As well as the three, Depay was also given a lot of attacking freedom when introduced, this accompanied with weary legs from the opposition enabled Van Gaal to get the most out of Depay, it was the perfect conditions for him to enter the field. So in the match against Australia, Depay’s first appearance in the competition, the youngster came into the game at half-time with the score tied up at 1-1, the game was poised perfectly, despite the Socceroos taking the lead 10 minutes into the second-half, Depay was the player to step up to the mark when his country most needed it, the explosive winger was heavily involved in the Dutch equaliser, slipping Van Perise through to bring his side back into the game. After this Depay grew in confidence as he began to ask the Australian defence questions, they couldn’t deal with him as in the 68th minute he gave them the knock-out blow, smashing the ball in from 25 yards to seal a dramatic 3-2 win.

Depay’s heroics in the game against Australia gave him a huge boost in confidence for his next outing against South American underdogs Chile. Although the former Sparta Rotterdam player did not get as much time on the field as he did against Australia, his late inclusion was again significant as he left his mark on the game once again. When Depay entered the game the score was level at 0-0 but with Chile looking burnt-out Depay was allowed plenty of space which he used to his full advantage, his first notable bit of action in the game was when he got in behind the Chile midfield and let loose a 25 yard thunderbolt that was destined for the back of the net if it wasn’t for a brilliant save from Claudio Bravo. Subsequently the corner Depay had just won resulted in the opening goal of the match as Leroy Fer headed the ball into the corner of the net. Then as the Dutch started to dominate Depay was hungry to get his name on the score sheet, and in the 92nd minute he got exactly that as he sprinted 60 odd yards to get on the end of an Arjen Robben cross and tap the ball in from 2 yards out, the goal highlighted Depay’s tremendous determination and never-say die attitude.

The next game, the round of 16 clash against Mexico, saw Depay once again come off the bench, this time though his impact was not as significant; but that’s not to say he wasn’t effective. The Eindhoven winger came into the game early on in the second half, replacing Verhaegh as the Dutch looked to change their shape to change the outcome of the game. By bringing on Depay the Dutch were a lot more dominant which began to translate into chances. Although Depay didn’t offer as much as we’ve seen going forward, he still was able to complete all his take-ons and put in a few decent crosses. However despite not being so damaging going forward, he was able to put in a solid defensive shift, making two crucial blocks late into the game as well as 90th minute clearance.

The quarter-finals saw Depay get given his first start in the competition after putting in some impressive performances. Unfortunately for Depay the performance wasn’t a particularly memorable one, Costa Rica’s deep line as well as their two banks of 5 made it extremely difficult for Depay to find pockets of space. However he almost added another assist to his name as he played an almost identical pass to the one against Australia to Van Persie but this time the Manchester United man could not convert. After this moment early on in the game Depay seemed to drift in and out of the game, fullback Gamboa did an excellent job at keeping the youngster quiet and after 75 minutes Depay was taken off for what was to be his final appearance at the World Cup.

Although Depay did not feature in the last two games that is not to take anything away from the brilliant campaign he had. The 20-year old proved that he is one of the biggest talents not only in Europe but worldwide, his nomination for Best Young Player Award underlines how great he was in Brazil. He has given the Oranje hope that they will be able to replace talismanic figures such as Van Persie and Robben, contributing 2 goals and an assist in your first World Cup all at the age of 20, is something that can only be done by those destined for greatness. His campaign has seen his name be engraved in the memories of all football fans, launching himself into stardom.

]]>https://theoozeblog.wordpress.com/2014/07/23/top-5-dutch-talents-to-emerge-from-the-world-cup-no-3-memphis-depay/feed/0memphis depayharryt23114411902depaydepaTop 5 Dutch Talents To Emerge From The World Cup: No.4 Jasper Cillessenhttps://theoozeblog.wordpress.com/2014/07/17/top-5-dutch-talents-to-emerge-from-the-world-cup-no-4-jasper-cillessen/
https://theoozeblog.wordpress.com/2014/07/17/top-5-dutch-talents-to-emerge-from-the-world-cup-no-4-jasper-cillessen/#respondThu, 17 Jul 2014 16:49:42 +0000http://theoozeblog.wordpress.com/?p=783We continue our countdown of the top 5 Dutch talents to emerge from this year’s World Cup, with Ajax shot stopper Jasper Cillessen coming in at no.4.

Just 9 months ago Jasper Cillessen was plying his trade in the Eerste Divisie, playing for Jong Ajax. Only in his wildest dreams would he of imagined playing in a world cup semi-final, but it happened. He made the jump from the Ajax reserves to the first team and never looked back since, managing to get a call up for the national team and solidify his place as his nation’s no.1, all in the space of 9 months. It has been one hell of a journey for the former NEC keeper.

The decision to make Cillessen no.1 choice for the Netherlands was one that seemed a surprise decision for many Dutch supporters, with many thinking Tim Krul of Newcastle was a more fitting choice. However considering that when playing for Ajax, he kept 14 clean sheets in his 25 games in the league and only conceded more than one goal on one solitary occasion. I think these stats alone support that Van Gaal made the right decision, and Van Gaal’s trust has been paid back as Cillessen has grown in confidence from every game and has impressed everyone with his skills on the deck as well as his shot stopping ability.

Cillessen’s world cup campaign started with the 5-1 annihilation of previous winners Spain, in this game Cillessen put in a solid performance, only being beaten by an Alonso penalty kick. If it wasn’t for Cillessen the Oranje may never have made that incredible comeback, as in the 43rd minute David Silva broke through the Dutch defence and the Spaniard went for a cheeky chip, but Cillessen stood tall and diverted the ball away for a corner. Moments later the Dutch equalised and were back in the game, it was the defining moment of the game. As the game went on Cillessen had little to do, but when he was called upon he made two comfortable saves against Pedro and Iniesta, which rounded up a sound performance from the Dutch no.1.

The Australia and Chile games were ones that Cillessen looked comfortable in, despite conceding two goals against Australia there was not much he could do about them, with one being a penalty and the other Tim Cahill’s rocket of a volley, a shot that very few if any goalkeepers could have kept out. As for the Chile game, it saw Cillessen keep his first clean sheet of the competition after he only had one save to make for the whole game, in which he had no problems in dealing with. His passing ability played a more vital role in the game against Chile as he was often required to build play up from the back, and his calming presence on the ball relieved a lot of pressure for the Oranje and helped to secure a 3rd group win.

After helping his side progress to the group stage, Cillessen had somewhat of a quite round of 16 match, throughout the whole game he remained relatively untroubled, making 3 saves and claiming the odd cross. But yet he was unable to deal with Dos Santos’s low and powerful shot into the corner, although it was a good strike from the Mexican, Cillessen maybe should of done better as he looked to have reacted late, showing that he still has a bit to learn in order to reach his full potential.

The next game, against underdogs Costa Rica, was one were Cillessen’s concentration levels were tested to the max. The Ajax keeper went 118 or so minutes before he was called into action, and when he was it was absolutely critical that he could produce a fine save to prevent the Costa Ricans from advancing, fortunately for the Dutch Cillessen showed his quality in making a crucial save to deny Ureña. And so the game went to penalties and despite Cillessen being subbed off for Krul, if it wasn’t for him the Oranje would of never got this far, once again was he responsible for keeping his side in this competition. But yet Cillessen was not to be put into the limelight, all the praise went to Krul for being the penalty shoot-out hero.

The final two games were filled with emotion for the Groesbeek native, he was once again a saviour for the Dutch in normal time, with him making a number of important saves, most notably keeping out Palacio’s header in the dying moments of extra time. But it wasn’t just his shot-stopping ability that was impressive against Argentina, his footwork was also spot on as he showed off his skills by completely outwitting the on-rushing Higuain with a classy Cruyff-turn. However despite keeping his side in the game for 120 minutes he couldn’t save his side when it came to penalties, as he let in all 4 penalties taken by Argentina, meaning his record of never saving a penalty continues, although this is not a particularly meaningful stat, despite the media making it out to be, as this was only his 2nd season with first team football. But alas it wasn’t to be for Cillessen or the Netherlands as they fell agonisingly short once again.

However despite being knocked out by Argentina the Dutch still had a chance to go out on a bang, by playing a deflated Brazilian side in the 3rd place play-off. This was a game that Van Gaal got his players fired up for and their desire to win the game was shown by their fast start as they led just after 3 minutes. And once they took the lead they never really looked back as they swept Brazil aside 3-0. The game didn’t really involve much action for Cillessen as the opposition struggled to break past the Dutch back-line.

This ended up capping off an impressive tournament for Cillessen as he left the game with yet another clean sheet, taking his total to 4, meaning he tied with Neuer and Romero as the keepers with the most clean sheets in the competition, a brilliant achievement for the world cup debutant. As well as this, Cillessen only ended up conceding two goals from open play, with one of them being Tim Cahill’s scorcher of a volley, highlighting what a talent this young-man is. The future definitely is bright for this young man and the experience he would of gained from this tournament will be invaluable, getting to train with world class players as well as being under the guidance of Van Gaal and more importantly Frans Hoek, one of the best goalkeeping coaches in the world, responsible for developing talents Van der Sar and Victor Valdes into world-class keepers. Most importantly Cillessen has proven that he is capable of performing on the biggest stage and he has the ability to become one of the greats to wear the no.1 shirt for the Oranje.

]]>https://theoozeblog.wordpress.com/2014/07/17/top-5-dutch-talents-to-emerge-from-the-world-cup-no-4-jasper-cillessen/feed/0jasper_cillessen_holland_world_cup_2014_wallpaper_by_jeffery10-d7o1ms9harryt2311cillessen2cillessen3Jasper+Cillessen+Australia+v+Netherlands+Group+bgru-p_hNb5lTop 5 Dutch Talents To Emerge From The World Cup: No.5 Georginio Wijnaldumhttps://theoozeblog.wordpress.com/2014/07/15/top-5-dutch-talents-to-emerge-from-the-world-cup-no-5-georginio-wijnaldum/
https://theoozeblog.wordpress.com/2014/07/15/top-5-dutch-talents-to-emerge-from-the-world-cup-no-5-georginio-wijnaldum/#respondTue, 15 Jul 2014 21:29:14 +0000http://theoozeblog.wordpress.com/?p=776So, now the Oranje’s World Cup campaign has come to an end, we look at the top 5 Dutch players to emerge from this World Cup. To start off, coming in at no.5 is PSV midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum.

Despite spending the majority of last season out with a back problem, Wijnaldum managed to end up in Louis van Gaal’s 23 man squad. It was one of the surprise inclusions, but with Van der Vaart picking up an injury just prior to the tournament, he was the only suitable replacement. The player has been a talisman for PSV for the past couple of seasons, developing great leadership skills and turning into one of the best #10′s in the league. And it has been these attributes that have been the driving factor as to why the Eindhoven man has had a great world cup in Brazil.

Wijnaldum was a player that was not favoured by Van Gaal at the start of the tournament as he opted for De Guzman to play alongside De Jong in the midfield, an understandable decision bearing in mind Wijnaldum had been out for most of the season and therefore it was assumed he would be short on fitness. However after De Guzman at times looked out of place against Spain, and Wijnaldum came on and put in a solid half an hour performance, with a 100% pass, tackle and aerial duels completion, showed he is a valuable addition to this team.

Regardless of putting in a sound performance against Spain, Van Gaal kept his line-up unchanged against Australia, this may have been a slight mistake on Van Gaal’s part as Australia ended up taking a 2-1 lead and at times the Oranje were being dominated by the Aussies. However the introduction of Depay and a move to a 4-3-3 enabled the Dutch to get back into the game, and once the comeback had been completed Wijnaldum was then introduced to help calm and control the game, something he did with relative ease.

Finally after impressing against both Spain and Australia the Rotterdam native was given his first start for the game against Chile, this showed Van Gaal’s trust in Wijnaldum as this was an important game for the Oranje as whoever came out on top would have a more favourable round of 16 match clash versus Mexico, instead of facing hosts Brazil. In the end Van Gaal’s faith in Wijnaldum paid off as the Netherlands dispatched Chile thanks to a persistence performance from the Dutch, which involved Wijnaldum working tirelessly and showcasing his dogged work-ethic throughout the full 90. This performance against Chile solidified his place in the starting line-up as he played every minute from this game on.

So, with Wijnaldum getting more playing time, his significance in the side grew as the tournament unfolded, as he formed a strong partnership with De Jong, resulting in them becoming a strong, cohesive unit in this Dutch side that the opposition would struggle to get past. A block of these two and with De Vrij, Vlaar and Martins Indi behind, epitomised the solidity that this 5-3-2 system can have with the right personnel.

However despite putting in excellent performances playing alongside De Jong, it was his game against Brazil were the Eindhoven midfielder really shone and showcased that he can be a deadly attacking midfielder. With Sneijder getting injured in the warm-up prior to the game, it meant that with De Guzman introduced, and so therefore Wijnaldum could have a bit more freedom going forward as he interchanged with De Guzman frequently. His performance showed off his versatility as a central midfielder as he was reasonable for nullifying the Brazilians as well as causing them havoc at the back with him striking low into the corner to secure a 3-0 win for the Dutch, rounding up a brilliant outing for the PSV captain.

So, with the Oranje finishing 3rd, it’s safe to say it was a result nobody was expecting, many experts felt that this side lacked vital experience as well as quality individuals, but after this tremendous campaign the Dutch have proved everyone wrong and one of the players that has stepped up when the world was watching was Wijnaldum. He came to this world cup after having a torrid season plagued by injuries at PSV and showed that he can compete with the very best that the game has to offer. His campaign has certainly boosted his credentials and has resulted in him emerging as a star from this world cup. Well done Georginio, your whole nation is proud of you.

]]>https://theoozeblog.wordpress.com/2014/07/15/top-5-dutch-talents-to-emerge-from-the-world-cup-no-5-georginio-wijnaldum/feed/0Netherlands v Ecuador - International Friendlyharryt2311wiji 2wijiKlaas Jan Huntelaar: A career plagued by misfortunehttps://theoozeblog.wordpress.com/2014/07/14/klaas-jan-huntelaar-a-career-plagued-by-misfortune/
https://theoozeblog.wordpress.com/2014/07/14/klaas-jan-huntelaar-a-career-plagued-by-misfortune/#respondMon, 14 Jul 2014 20:20:11 +0000http://theoozeblog.wordpress.com/?p=766Klaas Jan Huntelaar is one of the finest finishers in the game, he has been able to play for some of Europe’s finest clubs, but yet he has never been able to completely fulfil his true potential and live up to that world-class title.

After the round of 16 match against Mexico, the whole world was reminded of Huntelaar’s true proficiency and aptitude to alter the proceedings of a match. The Dutchman entered the field on the 76th minute of the game, in that space of time he managed just 7 touches of the ball, suggesting his impact was minimal at the most but that is far from the truth; with those 7 touches he managed to provide an assist and a goal. Sealing a place in the quarter-final, and from the confidence the Dutch gained from that victory they were able to put aside Costa Rica and proceed to the Semis. However this was one of the few moments in Huntelaar’s career where he was allowed to be the centre of attention and hog the spotlight, despite having a CV that boasts playing at some of Europe’s most prestigious clubs, Ajax, Real Madrid and AC Milan. The Gelderland native has never been able to establish himself as one of the World’s greatest and have a defining mark on the game, the truth is that he has had too many obstacles that have prevented him from reaching his true capabilities.

The Hunter’s career originally started with PSV Eindhoven but after representing the side on one solitary occasion he moved onto to Frisian club Sc Heerenveen were he truly began to show his talent and gain serious interest from the country’s top clubs. At the age of 20 Huntelaar showed his goal scoring potential with him netting 33 times in just 46 appearances. After showing such promise a move to Ajax was inevitable, the Amsterdammers swooped in to make a €9 million bid to lure him to the club. With the two years he spent with the club he showed that he was one hell of a talent, contributing 76 goals in 92 appearances helping his side to win the KNVB Cup and Johan Cruyff Shield on two occasions. Huntelaar’s knack of being in the right place at the right time was becoming more and more evident, the striker’s instinctive nature to sense an opportunity as well as his sharp movement was key to his success during his early years. But it was after his time at Ajax were the No.9′s fortune soon began to take a turn for the worse.

After tearing the Eredivisie apart for the past four years, Huntelaar wanted an even greater challenge, and he took on the biggest of them all by agreeing a deal with the biggest European club of them all; Real Madrid. A move to Los Blancos is a giant step in any players career, being able to play at the Santiago Bernabéu is the dream of almost all aspiring footballers. But alas despite playing at one of the greatest clubs in the history of the game, Huntelaar’s time was rather short-lived as he featured on just 20 occasions, with many coming from the substitute bench. Although he was given only a few opportunities, he still managed to make a reasonable contribution, with 8 goals in front of the Real Madrid faithful. There were many factors that contributed to why his move was never a success, firstly he was given a huge blow shortly after arriving as there was only one place for available between him and Diarra to be part of Real Madrid’s Champions League squad; unfortunately for the Dutchman they went for Diarra. Also another instrumental factor was that midway through January Real Madrid President Ramon Calderon resigned following a voting scandal. So the man who had brought Huntelaar to the club for €20 million had abruptly left, which meant that Huntelaar had had an eventful first month with the club which surely disrupted his ability to settle in. Finally the defining moment that ended the ‘Hunter’s’ time with the club was that coach Bernd Schuster was fired and the appointed Manuel Pellegrini did not see Huntelaar in his plans for the future, and so the Centre-forwards time at Los Blancos had ended prematurely after just six months with the club.

In order to get his career back on track after a hugely disappointing campaign with Real Madrid, the Dutch international decided to opt to play for another major club, this time Italian giants AC Milan. However yet again things out of the Dutchman’s control led to yet another premature stay, lasting a year this time. Firstly he had to compete with former Ajax forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic and the promising Brazilian, Robinho, this ultimately led to few starting chances and indicated that maybe Milan intended him to be a bit-part player. But early on in his stay with Milan, after coming off the bench in the 85th minute against Catania, he sealed a 2-0 win after scoring a brace, following this performance coach Leonardo said in an interview that Huntelaar would be guaranteed more first team chances. But this was not to be true as Huntelaar would often remain on the bench and even went through a period were upcoming talent Borriello emerged onto the scene and replaced the forwards seat on the bench. However shortly after Borriello burst onto the scene he picked up an injury that was to keep him out for a few weeks, this resulted in many experts and fans expecting Huntelaar to come back into the frame and get some much needed game time, however Leonardo opted to play club legend Filippo Inzaghi who was 36 at the time, truly solidifying the belief of Huntelaar and many others that his time at Milan was not to be. So following this after the end of the 09-10 season the Dutchman was on the move again, this time taking a slight step down to German side Schalke.

Schalke has been the club that Huntelaar has stayed true to ever since his turbulent times with Real and Milan, he has been a prolific goal scorer for the side, netting 59 goals in 100 appearances. The move to Schalke meant that the Dutchman could get the one thing he had been deprived of for the past couple of seasons, game time. This invaluable asset has meant that the Hunter has been able to get his career back on track, domestically at least. Internationally it is a different manner, similarly to his times at Real and Milan he has found himself seen as second best once again. This has been a constant through the majority of his time with the national team, he’s never been able to get a long enough string of games to solidify his place as a starter. But that’s not to say he hasn’t been clinical when he has been given his chance, he has notched 35 goals in just 64 appearances for his country, meaning he boasts a slightly greater goals per game ratio than Van Persie who has got 46 goals in 89 games. However despite being statistical more efficient than Van Persie, the Manchester United striker is always favoured due to his all-round game compared to Huntelaar’s approach as an old-fashioned no.9.

However there may be light at the end of the tunnel, with Huntelaar having such an impact in the game against Mexico, the whole world was reminded of the talent of the man who was once dubbed the next big thing. This performance has put him in the shop-window and now as it appears he is not willing to sign an extension to his contract that runs out next year, suggesting a move may well be on the cards. Interest from Liverpool and Arsenal means that he may take on a new challenge with a move to the BPL, but this time Huntelaar will be hoping that fortune is on his side and that he can prove to everyone that he has the necessary qualities required to be considered a world-class player.

Pre-match the Swiss were strong favourites but there were many labelling Ecuador as a dark horse of Group E. Switzerland had qualified easily and were unbeaten both all their qualification games as well as pre world cup friendlies, this meant going in to the world cup expectations on this team were high. Ecuador however had a much harder pre world cup after just avoiding the AFC v CONMEBOL play-off by goal difference, however they turned the heads of many who had dismissed them with strong performances against Netherlands and England. They are a side with a lot of pace on the wing and a big physical presence up front who play a primarily counter attacking style football, Switzerland on the other hand focus more on passing play and working the ball up the pitch.

Ecuador got off to a quick start from kick off and by the 5th minute had already won 2 corners both of which didn’t produce anything, from there on in it was Switzerland who were dominating the game with the majority of possession. The problem was they weren’t working hard enough to break down the Ecuador defence and they only player that seemed capable of creating anything for the attacking players was Gokhan Inler. The first goal came in 22nd minute when a free kick was awarded to Ecuador in a dangerous area, it was left-back Ayovi who delivered the ball into the area and a horrible piece of defending from the Swiss meant a poorly marked Enner Valencia could head in to make it 1-0. For the rest of the second half it was Switzerland who again had the majority of the ball, the problem was that the majority of their chances had players resorting to taking long range shots instead of looking for the final ball. But it was obvious that the Ecuador defence was looking rather shaky and this was something that the Swiss needed to take advantage of.

Mehmedi equalized for the Swiss 2 minutes after coming off the bench.

Evidently manager Ottmar Hitzfeld had also noticed this and as the second half begun he brought on Admir Mehmedi for Valentin Stocker, who had been having very quiet game on the left hand side. And the 23 year old had made his mark just 2 minutes after coming on as he took advantage of Ecuador’s defending nodding the ball home from Rodriguez’s corner past the clueless Alexander Dominguez. After a scrappy 30 odd minutes the game looked like it would peter out to a draw but in the 70th minute Drmić managed to find the back of the net from close range, except as we have been experiencing in previous games there was another incorrect offside decision from the officials. It seemed Xhaka’s dummy fooled the linesman as well because he raised his flag despite Drmić being onside when the initial ball was played, presumably he thought Xhaka had touched the ball due to the trajectory of the pass being altered when in fact it had actually touched a Ecuadorian player. However this didn’t discourage Switzerland as they continued to press on a create another chance to go ahead 3 minutes later but under pressure Mehmedi played the wrong ball when he had support on either side. It was obvious Hitzfeld had to do something if the Swiss were to avoid a draw so in the 75th minute he subbed Drmić off for Real Sociedad’s Seferovic in an attempt to get another goal. As the game went beyond the ninety minutes it looked that we would have the first draw of the tournament on our hands, yet in the 93rd minute a chance presented itself for Ecuador, Antonio Valencia picked out substitute Arroyo in the Swiss box but an excellent tackle from Behrami gave Switzerland a chance to counter attack. It was Rodriguez again on the left side who was at the eclipse of the Swiss attack and delivered a low driven cross for Seferovic to side foot home and give them a late win.

Offside? I think not…

It was a well deserved win for Ottmar Hitzfeld’s side in what could have been one of the most controversial games of the tournament, it certainly means that the Swiss have good chances at progressing out the group stage if they manage to beat France or Honduras. As for Ecuador they will have to fight hard in their next 2 games if they want to progress any further in the World Cup and I’m sure in retrospect manager Reinaldo Rueda would have been satisfied if they had managed a draw.

This was another match up of favourites for 1st and 4th in the group. On paper the disparity between the quality of these two sides is massive. Honduras are arguably the worst team at this world cup, while the 2006 finalists, despite being a shadow of the quality of the 2006 squad still boasts numerous world class footballers, including champions league winners Varane and Benzema. It was very difficult to see anything but a France win in this one, but strange things have already happened at this world cup.

The game started very much as expected with France dominating the ball and Honduras looking to get the ball forward quickly as possible. France got the ball rolling quickly with Benzema with notable chances, his movement along with Valbuena’s causing early problems for the Honduran defence. Valbuena and Griezmann began swapping sides as well which worsened the problems for Honduras.

The excellent Valbuena was harassed throughout the night by the aggressive Hondurans

The midfield battle remained a tough one, with Espinosa and Palacios getting in the faces of the french midfield. Which occasionally boiled over, with Pogba kicking out at Palacios. The passing and movement of the French eventually worn down the Hondurans, who looked exhausted after only 20 minutes. Just before half time they gave way, with a free kick being sent in and Palacios with a poor challenge on Pogba, giving a way penalty and subsequent sending off. Benzema put it away comfortably.

A physical Honduras looked to come out the same, but again couldn’t implement themselves on the technically superior french. Chances again began coming for France, Valbuena, who was excellent throughout and at the helm of most of the moves produced a brilliant ball to Benzema on the 49th minute his shot struck the post, rebounded and was bundled in incompetently by Valladares.

Benzema watches as Valladares bundles into his own net

Much to the furore of the Honduras fans and manager, who were confused as the original verdict by the goal line technology was that Benzema’s shot didn’t cross the line. At 2-0 France looked a lot cooler and their movement of the football improved with Valbuena being involved in some lovely one touch moves. Benzema then added a third after finding some space from a lovely worked corner by the French.They were unlucky not to add more on the tally. Honduras had some breaks at the other end, but they mostly ended up as wasted cross and half chances, which Lloris dealt with easily. The last stages of the match saw Honduras getting more frustrated and consequently aggressive without the ball, the French began to start playing at walking pace and the game closed out to a stagnant end.

This French team has kicked any of the past ghosts from the last world cup and will look to leave the group as winners with two good performances in the last two matches. This team has more potential than a lot of people have given credit for, although even tonight at times they looked shaky at the back which may perhaps be their downfall. Just leaving the group would be better than the last showing but for this young side they should expect to make it to at least the quarter final, especially if Valbuena and Benzema both maintain form, with others be able to come into the foray as well. For Honduras their biggest achievement is just being at the world cup and it’s seems they’re content with this. An interesting match between them and Ecuador beckons, with similar styles and Ecuador are not the best team at breaking down lesser opponents.

Man of the match: Mathieu Valbuena

]]>https://theoozeblog.wordpress.com/2014/06/16/world-cup-squeeze-matchday-4/feed/0switzerland v ecudaorkagawa10Switzerland-Vs-Ecuador-previewMehmedi equalized for the Swiss 2 minutes after coming off the bench.Offside? I think not...France-Vs-Honduras-fifa-world-cup-2014The excellent Valbuena was harassed throughout the night by the aggressive Hondurans Benzema watches as Valladares bundles into his own netWorld Cup Squeeze – Match Day 3 (Part 2)https://theoozeblog.wordpress.com/2014/06/15/world-cup-squeeze-match-day-3-part-2/
https://theoozeblog.wordpress.com/2014/06/15/world-cup-squeeze-match-day-3-part-2/#respondSun, 15 Jun 2014 13:30:08 +0000http://theoozeblog.wordpress.com/?p=650England v Italy

England started off their world cup campaign with a 2-1 loss against Italy in Manaus.

With Costa Rica pulling off a surprise result and beating Uruguay, it gave all England fans a great sign of hope that they would be able to get out of their tough group. This new belief that England have a great chance of qualifying, if not win the group was shown by the players as they started the game with intent. Just after 3 minutes into the game Liverpool youngster Raheem Sterling hit a rocket of a shot that flew into the side netting from 25 yards out, and from the angle it was original shown a whole lot of England fans thought they had witnessed one of the country’s finest goals in world cup history. Although it didn’t go in England gained a huge boost in confidence and really took the game to the Italians. After 24 minutes Welbeck made a bursting run into the box and if it weren’t for a poor cross England would have took the lead as Sturridge just couldn’t get on the end of it.

However playing against a side of the calibre of Italy it was always inevitable that they would get themselves into the game, and in the 35 minute England were caught out by a short corner and after playing a pass to Marchisio, in which Pirlo gracefully dummied over the ball, the Italian smashed in a shot from 20 yards out.

Despite this crucial blow to England, the three lions responded positively and just 2 minutes later Sterling played Rooney through for him to delightfully cross the ball into Sturridge’s path for the England no.9 to tap in from a few yards out. Game on.

Candreva was a problem for England all game

In the end England were lucky to go in level at half-time as Balotelli managed to beat the offside trap and he took the ball away from the onrushing Joe Hart and then attempted an audacious chip that was destined to go in, if it were not for Jagielka to clear of the line. This was then followed by yet another attack as Marchisio found Candreva in the box, but the Italian could only hit the post, England had been let of the hook.

The second half saw Italy take the lead as Candreva easily sold Baines with the fake cross before whipping one into the back post for Balotelli to pounce and knock in from 5 yards out, a poor goal to concede that highlighted England’s vulnerability down that right had side. After this England only created one major chance, Rooney got on the end of a Baines pass but the Manchester United man could only fire wide. The closet anyway came to scoring after this was Andrea Pirlo, the regista struck the ball beautifully from 25 yards out, and with Hart being rooted to the spot if it weren’t for the bar it would have been 3-1.

Overall England showed they had potential when attacking but Rooney was stagnant and so was the defence at times, but with the next match against a Uruguayan side that looked incredibly poor last game England could still make the knock-out rounds.

Man of the match: Antonio Candreva

Japan V Ivory Coast

The late kick off in Matchday 3 saw Ivory Coast take all 3 points against the Japanese in Group C’s second game of the day.

The last time Japan visited the Arena Pernambuco in Recife was for their thrilling 4-3 defeat at the hands of Italy during the Confederations Cup roughly a year ago. Coming in to this game both teams had high hopes to make it past the group stage, something Ivory Coast had never done and with Japan hoping to repeat their success in South Africa it looked to be a tight affair straight from the off.

Keisuke Honda’s efforts weren’t enough for to secure Japan 3 points.

The game started brightly with both teams showing their attacking intent, while Les Éléphants had more of the possession it was Japan who looked more decisive with the ball and in just the 16th minute of the game they struck. A quick throw-in saw Nagatomo play the ball to the feet of Keisuke Honda who took and excellent touch and rifled in with his mighty left foot. Not long after some excellent foot work from Uchida saw him in front of goal where instead of squaring it to Kagawa went for glory with his weaker foot and gave Barry a simple save. Both teams had other notable chances but it was the Ivorians that had more of the chances and Japan were set up perfectly well to deal with the attacking threat the African team possessed. Strong first half performances from defensive pairing Morishige and Yoshida meant that Japan, while on the back foot a lot, looked comfortable going in to the second half.

There was a degree of frustration for Ivory Coast with big name forwards like Solomon Kalou and Wilfried Bony both missing chances and star player Yaya Toure looking rather subdued for a lot of the match. As the clock hit the 62nd minute Didier Drogba was called to the sideline and a round of applause rippled through the stadium, coming on for Serey Die the presence of the Ivorian legend seemed to lift the spirits of the rest of the team. And just 2 minutes later Ivory Coast had a goal, a cross from Serge Aurier curled in to the box and found the head of Bony who had in fact been billed by many as the new Drogba. At this point there were worried looks on all of the Japan players faces and in another 2 minutes Kawashima was picking the ball out of his net again. Aurier once more was picked out on the right side of the pitch and under no pressure from Nagatomo and delivered another ball to Gervinho whose header went clumsily through the hands of the 31-year-old Japanese goalkeeper. From here on out was a downwards spiral for the Samurai Blue, Japan looked hopeless on the ball and were being bossed around by a much more physical African team. A tactical change from Sabri Lamouchi saw Ivory Coast playing with 3 at the back, throwing as many players forward as they could to search for another goal. Japan seemed to fade away until the dying minutes of the match where they tried to create a few opportunities for themselves via a few desperate long balls but it was really too little too late.

Gervinho celebrating putting his team ahead with Didier Drogba

A disappointing loss for Japan means they are going to have to really work to make it out of the group stage, if they play like they did in the first half defensively and show the same attacking prowess they did in the Confederations Cup last year they should comfortably beat Greece and will just have to hope for a result against the highly impressive Colombia. As for Ivory Coast this win will prove vital to them but they look a team that could easily slip up as their defence is lacking compared to their next two opponents and as Japan proved for a lot of this game their attacking players can be contained with the right set up.

Colombia went into this match as favourites for the group and they looked to go into it setting the ball rolling. Greece on the other the hand followed on from what they did in qualifying, frustrating teams and grinding out results, this is in sharp contrast to the style held by Colombia. Colombia fit nicely into the stereotype of the east South American team, high energy, direct, quick and high pressure. They do break one norm however, of having poor technical midfielders, with James Rodriguez. The brilliant 22 year old playmaker has been given a free-role in qualifying and it was no different against a dogged Greece.

Both teams started how expected too, with Greece sitting deep and keeping the play simple but slow and Colombia doing the exact opposite. Greece however couldn’t cope with the early pressure and pace by Colombia and Cuadrado, who was excellent through out, put in a delightful low pass in the box on 6 minutes, which was left by Rodriguez and a scuffed shot by Armero crept in at the near post.

Armero’s shot creeps in at the near post

This forced Greece to change their game plan and made the game a more exciting spectacle. The rest of the first half saw Greece slowing becoming more adventurous and having a lot of joy down the right hand side, with Samaras squandering some good positions and Kone unlucky with a neat shot outside the box into the top corner. As expected the most dangerous players again for Colombia remained a buzzing Rodriguez, Cuadrado, and surprisingly picked Ibarbo acting as an inside forward coming in from the left hand side, they kept Greece wary.

The second half again saw a similar pattern with Greece slowing growing but Colombia always remaining a threat on the counter, which Greece could not handle. Samaras who was quite in the first half, found his feet and began running at the ageing Colombian back line, acting selfishly at times. Samaras incidentally was at fault for the second goal, for allowing his marker (Aquilar) free from a corner. Abel Aguilar flicked on at the near post, and an unmarked Gutierrez tapped into an empty net from 2 yards. The rest of the game saw Greece squander numerous chances including a very notable one by Gekas, who, facing an empty net, hit the bar from 3 yards out. A goal by Greece would have changed the complexity of the whole match at this point but they, on a frustrating afternoon, could not find the break through. The game was finished off in the dying minutes by a lovely counter-attacking move by Colombia, led by Cuadrado. Running at the Greece defence with conviction and pace, he laid off a skilful back-heel to Rodriguez, who finished by slipping the ball in the far corner.

Without Falcao, Rodriguez has become the leading light for Colombia

The result leaves Greece in an all too familiar predicament at the world cup finals, not scoring in all but one game and not placing even one point on the board. It will very a tough ask for them to leave the group stage, although they may be able to at least credit themselves some goals and pride perhaps in the other games if they can maintain their second half performance and carry it on against the Japanese. Colombia in contrast look set to win the group with flying colours. Their most talented players shone today and if they can maintain form, while limiting the mistakes at the other end, it could be a very exciting tournament for Colombia.

Man of the match: James Rodriguez

Uruguay v Costa Rica

A poor Uruguay stunned by Costa Rica and brilliant Campbell. Changing the whole dynamic of group D.

We experienced the first real shock of the tournament as Group D favourites Uruguay were torn apart by an inspired Costa Rican side. The game started off as expected with Uruguay having the majority of the ball and Costa Rica sitting deep with a 5 man defence. The plan for Costa Rica looked to be to just settle for a draw, however as the game unfolded it was apparent that this was not the case.

Uruguay took the lead in the 23′ minute after Cavani dispatched his penalty into the right corner of the net, the penalty came about from Diaz rugby tackling Lugano in the box, a good decision from the officials, one of the few good calls they have made right in this competition so far.

Edinson Cavani calmly puts his side into the lead

After half-time Uruguay started to become complacent and showed a lack of ideas when attacking, with Cavani and Forlan often looking for a ball over the top of the 5 man defence, instead of coming short and trying to receive the ball between the lines. This lack of creativity accompanied with poor defensive organisation gave Costa Rica a great incentive to push on and attack the Uruguayans.

This is exactly what they did, Costa Rica managed to bag 2 goals in quick succession, with only 3 minutes between the first two. The first was a cross sent in by Gamboa and both centre-backs went for the same ball, with both missing it the ball fell to Arsenal loanee Joel Campbell who smashed home a half-volley from 7 yards out. The 2nd goal really eclipsed Uruguay’s poor defensive display as moments prior to the goal Costa Rica had a free-kick 25 yards from goal and Bolanos put in a cross to the back post where Duarte headed straight at the keeper from 5 yards out, the Uruguay line was too deep and they really should of learnt from this. A matter of minutes later Costa Rica had a free kick in an almost identical position, and the exact same ball was put in and guess what? Duarte got on the end of it and put his side 2-1 up, again the Uruguay line was far too deep and this was a goal purely of their own making.

After this Uruguay tried to push on to equalise but they created nothing, in the end substitute Ureña managed to get on the end of Campbell’s defence splitting pass and coolly slotted it past Muslera and into the empty net. The game turned sour in the dying minutes with fullback Maxi Pereira losing his patience and lashing out at Campbell, earning him a red card meaning he will suspended for the game against England.

Joel Campbell celebrates levelling the score

This was a worrying display from Uruguay and it begs the question are they actually a good side? Excluding their strike force and as well as Godin they have a team full mediocre players that didn’t seem to gel together. This performance has heavily damaged their hopes of proceeding to the knock outs as they now require wins against England and Italy to stand a chance.

Man of the match: Joel Campbell

]]>https://theoozeblog.wordpress.com/2014/06/15/world-cup-squeeze-match-day-3-part-1/feed/0Uruguay-v-Costa-RicamattymattmattmatColombia-vs-Greece-preview-fifa-world-cup-2014Armero's shot creeps in at the near postWithout Falcao, Rodriguez has become the leading light for ColombiaUruguay-Vs-Costa-RicaEdinson Cavani calmly put his side into the leadJoel Campbell celebrates levelling the score